宝宝洗澡之经验篇

Moms’ Bath-Time Hints

I put some butterflies on the ceiling above the tub. When I want my baby to look up so she won’t get soap in her eyes, I ask “Where are the butterflies?”
– Alicia Lucio

Instead of pouring water on baby’s head, use a turkey baster to gently get his head wet and rinse the soap off.
– Elene Fox

I hang a plastic tub mirror on the wall so that my daughter can watch me shampoo her hair. I make funny hairdos with the lather. She loves it.
– Courtney Barton

I use the suds to make a horn on each of my two boys’ heads. They like playing monster with one another and don’t mind the shampoo.
– Kathryn Thomas

I use a plastic watering can on my son’s hair to wet and rinse it. I’m able to control the flow better and he likes to be watered so he can “grow.”
– Christy Farris

I let my daughter choose her own shampoo. I also let her her “help” rinse her hair with the cup. She doesn’t get as upset when she’s the one who puts water on her face.
– Kristi Russo

To keep from splashing into baby’s eyes, use the squirt bottle they gave you at the hospital.
– Candi Derr

Add comment July 14th, 2005 Mommy

宝宝洗澡之浴盆篇（Bathtub bath）

一旦脐带脱落，就可以用婴儿澡盆给宝宝洗澡了。不过这时候他们一般不会太脏，一周只须洗几次就可以了。

1. Gather your supplies (same as for sponge baths) and fill the tub with a couple inches of warm water — it should be slightly cooler than your ideal temperature, as baby’s skin is more sensitive.

2. Gently lower baby into the tub as you support his head and neck with your arm.

3. Clean his face just like you did when sponge-bathing him.

4. When baby’s all clean, dry him while you’re still sitting, so you don’t have to stand from a kneeling position.

5. Apply lotion once baby’s dry — and breathe deeply.

换大澡盆：
当宝宝可以自己坐起来（大概6个月左右）的时候，就应该考虑换一个大一点的澡盆。

安全提示：
Don’t turn your back on your baby for even a second — babies can drown in just a few inches of water.

If the phone rings and you must answer it, take her with you wrapped in a towel. Better yet, let the answering machine pick it up.

Set your water heater to 120 degrees F. That way, if your baby turns the hot water faucet handle, she won’t get scalded.

Add comment July 14th, 2005 Mommy

宝宝洗澡之擦澡篇（Sponge bath)

擦澡用品：
Baby body wash (often can double as shampoo)
Two washcloths
A towel
A bowl of warm water
Several cotton balls
Lotion (optional)
A diaper
An outfit to change baby into

初次擦澡：
一般来讲，初生宝宝在脐带尚未脱落之前（如果是做了包皮环切术的男宝宝，在伤口愈合之前），是不能在婴儿浴盆里洗澡的。这段时间一般持续2周左右，而这段时间内，对宝宝只能采用擦澡的方法来进行清洁。

1. Wash baby’s face before you take off any of his clothing. Dampen a cotton ball or washcloth and wipe his eyelids from the inside corner out. Use one cotton ball for each eye. With another damp cotton ball, clean around his nose.

2. To clean outside baby’s ears, use a damp cotton swab or washcloth. Don’t clean inside baby’s ears; using a swab could puncture his eardrum.

3. To shampoo, support his spine and hold his head back slightly. Sprinkle his head with warm water and squeeze on a drop or two of soap. Lather, scrub gently, and rinse with a wet washcloth.

4. Dry baby’s head with a towel.

5. Now you can undress him and lay him flat.

6. Put a little bit of soap (don’t overdo it; newborn skin is prone to irritation) on a soft washcloth to wash his body.

7. When he’s clean, pat him dry with a towel, apply lotion if you like, and get him dressed.

擦澡要诀：

“Down there” care: If your son was circumcised, do not attempt to pull back the foreskin; in fact, until the circumcision wound heals, avoid using soap on the area. After the penis has healed, you can wash it as you would any other part of his body. Clean a girl’s genitals by wiping from front to back. Don’t use soap in her groin area; it may cause irritation.

Location, location: “Bathing my newborn on my bed (I put a towel on top of a plastic tablecloth) works well. I talk to her softly, play relaxing music, and she never cries.”
–C. Smith

Warm and dry: Newborns get cold quickly. Try to dry and cover with a towel the areas you just washed to keep your baby as warm as possible.

Add comment July 14th, 2005 Mommy

新生儿肚脐护理

For the first week or two until the umbilical cord stump dries and falls off, you shouldn’t bathe your baby in a tub. A quick sponge bath every few days is sufficient. Keep the cord dry and exposed to air when possible during the day and swab it with rubbing alcohol at each diaper change to hasten drying. If the area turns red or the stump oozes call your doctor.

Add comment July 12th, 2005 Mommy

吸奶器购买指南

The Basics
A bad breast pump is a waste of money — you won’t use it. A good breast pump is a lifesaver. If you work, you’ll use it every workday. Even if you’ll mostly be at home, you can use a pump to relieve engorgement, pump excess milk so someone else can feed the baby, express milk if you’re away from your infant for more than two to four hours, and boost your milk production.
All in all, if you want to breastfeed, you’ll be grateful for a pump. Here are some questions to ask about getting the right one.

Electric, Battery, or Manual?
Electric pumps are strong and have great reputations; they’re what hospitals use and they’re also the most expensive. Battery-operated pumps cannot give the same kind of power. Some battery-powered models are rather uncomfortable and they deliver mixed results. You’d think a manually operated hand pump would therefore be even worse, but because you control the suction, hand pumps actually work even better than many battery-run models. Here are some things to think about with each option:
Electric pumps:
Buy or rent? If you can, hold off buying until you’ve given birth and have established nursing. Then, if you’ll be returning to work, shop for a good double electric pump, such as Medela’s popular Pump in Style or an Ameda. (Both have all the features you’d want: They’re powerful but portable, allow you to control the strength of the suction, and can vary the rate of the suction.) Such a pump will cost about $220 to $250 or more. In addition you’ll want to buy some milk storage bags or bottles. Don’t get disheartened; remember that if you breastfeed for 6 months, you’ll still be saving money over formula. Another option is to rent a pump from the hospital. This is particularly smart if you’re not sure you want to breastfeed for more than a few months or are not sure you want to return to work. In either case, it can be cheaper to rent than buy while you decide. Ask about a rental program at the hospital where you give birth, or log on to www.medela.com to find their rental location near you.
Manual pumps:
There’s only one favorite… Avent’s Isis is the gold standard in hand pumps and gets consistent great feedback from moms. Even if you buy an electric model, you may want this manual pump as well. It’s discreet enough that you can use it in tough places like airplanes and restaurant bathrooms. Someday, we hope, some other brand will come out with one just as good, because it’s annoying that the Avent pump only screws into Avent bottles. If baby prefers another brand, there’s a lot of pouring milk back and forth. But for now it’s worth the hassle for the ease and comfort. It’s about $40 for just the pump, and about $60 for the pump with storage containers and a cooler bag.
Battery-powered pumps:
Shop around. If you have a friend who had success with one of these, or you have an opportunity to try one before you buy, then perhaps a battery pump can work for you. Look for one that operates at 50 cycles a minute, which best mimics a baby’s nursing. (Less than that and you may have trouble getting any milk.) The new Whisper Wear is a great idea because it’s hands-free. But again, batteries don’t always provide a good suction — they’re often too weak or too strong. Buy carefully.

How often will I use it?
If you’re going to be pumping four or five days a week several times a day (in other words, at work) an electric pump that can do both breasts at once will be the most efficient. You should be able to empty both breasts in about 15 minutes (you’ll need extra time for setup and cleanup). Don’t skimp and buy an electric pump that only does one side at a time; it’s too much of a time waster. If you’ll be pumping more occasionally — once a day or less — a manual pump that does one side at a time is fine if it’s efficient.

Can I return a pump?
Nope. Once the pump box is open, it’s yours. They’re considered personal-care products that can’t be returned. It’s worth asking for recommendations from friends and lactation consultants before you make a final purchase.

Can I use a friend’s old pump?
Hospitals do some kind of high-level sanitizing of the pumps they rent. But you and your friends probably can’t guarantee that there’s no residue left in a pump, and that residue could, in theory, contaminate your milk. Borrowing a pump or getting a used one isn’t recommended.

2 comments July 5th, 2005 Mommy